U.S. leaders are being criticized for stoking fears of a meat shortage in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak that were unwarranted. Despite President Trump’s invocation of the Defense Production Act to keep meat plants open, an investigative report by USA Today found that the U.S. was never at risk of a severe shortage.

According to data collected by the outlet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country continued to import hundreds of millions of pounds of meat during the period starting in mid-March when domestic production imploded. In fact, the amount imported made up for the production deficit when compared to 2019.

With this data in mind, critics have accused leaders of using the fear of meat shortage as a political tool to get the President’s executive order. In addition to continuing production, the order would provide liability protections for meat plants and create a federal rule system for keeping the open instead of leaving the task to state or local governments.

“We’ve been very skeptical about these claims around shortages,” Ben Lilliston, co-executive director of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said. “I think they were able to use the idea of food shortages as leverage to get those two things.”

USDA data showed that cold storage levels for red meat and poultry grew considerably during the early pandemic months, reaching 2.5 billion pounds by the end of April. Experts also clarified that the U.S. was more likely to experience “spot shortages,” or, brief shortages of specific meat products in certain regions, rather than widespread shortages across the country.

“We’re not going to run out of meat,” Steve Meyer, economist for agricultural commodities firm Kerns & Associates, told USA Today in April. “Buy what you need, and leave some for somebody else, and I think we’ll all get through this OK.”

No matter the dangers the U.S. might have faced early on, production is currently ramping back up at meat plants across the country. Health protocols are being enforced at these plants to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including required face masks, glass dividers, and enforced social distancing.

US meat prices increased in April as consumers spent more on food generally and slaughterhouses struggled with outbreaks of coronavirus
US meat prices increased in April as consumers spent more on food generally and slaughterhouses struggled with outbreaks of coronavirus AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM
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